More people are set to be pardoned for historical crimes linked to homosexuality after changes in the rules come into force.

From Tuesday, anyone convicted or cautioned for offences linked to same sex activity that have been abolished can apply for their records to be wiped.

It will mean more veterans will be able to apply to erase convictions that were brought under service law.

The plans were first announced last year and mean that those who were unjustly criminalised can be pardoned and their convictions deleted from official records.

In the past, members of the Armed Forces were prosecuted for their sexuality under service law, which governed how service personnel were required to behave.

In some cases, people were convicted of offences such as ‘solicitation by men’ which may have sometimes been used in the past to criminalise gay men for behaviour which, if it had been between a man and a woman, would have been seen as no more than “chatting up”.

Minister for safeguarding Sarah Dines said: “The appalling criminalisation of homosexuality is a shameful and yet not so distant part of our history.

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“Although they can never be undone, the disregards and pardons Scheme has gone some way to right the wrongs of the past.

“I am proud that from today the scheme has been significantly widened to include more repealed offences.

“I invite all of those who were convicted or cautioned for same-sex sexual activity under an abolished offence to come forward and apply.”

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Pardons scheme extended to all convictions for consensual gay sex under now-abolished laws

Since 2012, men have been able to apply to have their convictions or cautions for consensual sex with other men disregarded.

Last year, further changes were announced to widen the range of civilian and service offences under the scheme, as well as to allow women to apply.

Offences included are those in which the other party was 16 or over and the activity is not a crime today.

It is an expansion of the government’s disregards and pardons Scheme, which saw computer pioneer Alan Turing among the first to be pardoned.

Fighting With Pride’s executive chair Craig Jones and and chief executive Caroline Paige said in a joint statement: “This extension to the disregards and pardons scheme and its inclusion of female veterans is welcome and another small step in the right direction.

“We will continue to work very closely with the Ministry of Defence and other government departments to ensure the vulnerable veterans in this cohort get all the support available to them.”

Deputy chief executive of the LGBT Foundation Rob Cookson said: “People should never be criminalised simply for who they are and who they love.

“The criminalisation of gay men made a huge, terrible impact on many people in our community.

“It is only right that the disregards and pardons scheme has been widened.”

Anyone wishing to apply can do so by filling in a form on gov.uk.